Combined stepladder and ironing board



July 1 @1924 F. A. CHARLAND COMBINED STEPLADDER AND IRONING BOARD v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filqd March 2. 1923 Jui 1 1924.-

F. 'A. CHARLAND COMBINED STEPLADDEKANi) IRONING BOARD 2 Sheets-Sher: 2

Filed March 2. "1923 Patented J uly 1, 1924.,

reest- PATENT orrics.

' FREDERICK A. CHAR-LAND, OF LYNDONVILLE, VEBMONT.-

COMBINED STEP LADDEB AND IRON ING BOARD:

Application filed March 2, 1923. Serial m. 622,381.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK A. CHAR- LAND, a citizen of the United Statesfresiding at Lyndonville, in the county of Caledonia and State of. Vermont, have invented certain new and useful-Improvements in a Combined Stepladder and Ironing Board, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is a combined stepladder and ironing board and has for its. object the provision of a novel construction whereby the device may be easily adjusted for use ineither capacity and will be firmly supported in each adjustment. The invention provides a structure in which the ironing board will be provided with an extension which will constitute a rest or shelf when the device is arrangedfor use as a step ladder, and also provides means whereby the ironing board and the step ladder willserve' as supports one for the other and will be firmly braced in proper relation when arranged for either use. Incidental objects of the invention will appear in the "course ofthe follow ing description, and the invention resides in certain novel features which will be particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

One embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which I t Figure 1 is aperspective view showing the device arranged for use as a step ladder;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the device arranged for use as an ironing board; Figs-3, 4 and 5 are sectional views taken respectively upon the line 3-3 of Fig.2 and the lines %4 and 5-5 ofFig. 1, and i Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section showing the device arranged for storage. v

In carrying out my invention, I employ a step ladder member comprising side bars. 1 and steps 2 secured to and extending between the said side bars in the usual manner of av step ladder. The uppermost step is extended beyond the side bars, as shown at 3, whereby it will provide stops to limit the swinging movement of a'shelf 4, as will be presently more particularly set forth.

Pivotally attachedto the side bars 1 adj a-' cent the-top step 2 are brackets awhich. ex-

tend rearwardly from the sidebars and are I rigidly secured to the ironing board 6 whereby the (ironing board may be swung pivotally relative to thestep ladder member and may be disposed at an angle thereto, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or may be folded-parallel therewithand close thereto, as shown in Fig. 6. The shelf 4 is provided at its ends with arms 7 which are rigidly secured to the ends of the shelf and project therefrom to engage. under the rojecting ends of the top step,as shown in %ig. 1, or, to extend longitudinallyuof the ironing board 6 at the side edges thereof, the said, I

arms being constructed with notches 8 near their free endsto engage studs 9 on the edges of the ironing board whereby the shelf. will be supported inv the plane'of the ironing board when, the device is arranged as shown in Figs. 2 and 6.} The edge of the shelf immediately adjacent the ironing board 'is made convex, as indicated at 10, whereby the shelf may move freely about its pivotal connection 11 with theend of the ironing board, as'will be readily understood. At the end of the ironing board remote from the shelf 4'and the brackets 5,1 secure to the under side thereof a cleat or strip 12 which has its ends, beveled and adjacent the said cleatI i pivotally attach 'tofthe ironing board feet 13 which are adapted to be swung around soas to bear against the beveled ends of thesaid cleat and project beyond the side edges of the .ironingboardand thereby provide an extended base to aid in supporting the device when itisarranged as a step ladder, as shown in Fig. 1, it being readily understood that, when the device is arranged as a step ladder, the ironing board constitutes the prop of' the ladder. The feet;13 are equipped with latches 14 which may' conveniently be pivoted hooks, as shown,

and upon the cheat 12 are eyes or keepers 15 as clearly shown.

side edges thereof so that they will not interfere in any way with the use of the board nor offer projections liable t catch in and injure any garment which may be placed upon the board. 7

Above-the cleat 12, l secure to the under side of the ironing board bearing brackets 16 in which is mounted a rock shaft 17, to the ends of which bracing levers 18 are secured. Extending through the free ends of these levers 18 is a stop bar 1 9, the ends of which project beyond the sides of the le vers and are adapted to engage stop lugs 'or' pins 20 upon the side bars 1 when the device is arranged for use as an ironing board, as shown in Fig. 2, and to bear upon the said side bars, as will be readily understood. The levers 18 also carry latches or hooks21 which are adapted to engage eye'sea upon the side bars when the device is arranged as a step ladder, the levers and the latches thereby constituting a tie member whereby spreading of thestep ladder will be prevented.

Supplemental legs 23 are pivoted to the side bars 1, as shown at 24, and are adapted to lie at the outer sides of the side bars,

The ends of the supplemental legs areconnected by rungs 25 whereby spreading. of the said legs is prevented and when the device is arranged as a step ladder, these rungs are engaged in notches 26 formed in the opposite edges of the side bars so that the legs will be out of the way and will not interfere in any degree with the use of the device, it being particularly noted that the notches nearer the free ends .of the side bars are disposed in alignment with the forward edge of the adjacent step 2 so that the rung 25 will, inefi'ect, constitute a part of the step and will not trip a person ascending or descending the ladder. The supplemental legs are suitably beveled at one end, asshown at 27, so that they may 7 rest fiatv upon the floor of a room or other fixed support uponwhich the device is set up and the free ends of the side bars 1 are also beveled, as shown at 28, for the same purpose. Secured to the under side of the ironing board and extending longitudinally thereof atabout the center of the same is a bracket 29 having a plurality of notches 30 in its under side whereby the said bracket presents a'series of stops or rests adapted to be engaged by the upper rung 25 when the device is to be used as an ironing board.

It is; thought the use of the device will be readily understood fromthe foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. When the device is to be setup for use as a step ladder,

the le s 23 are fieldedelose to the side bars 1 the rungs 25 are engaged in the notches 26, shows previousiy stated. The

.. ir ihg bbarri is et at an angle to the side bars 1 and the weight of the shelf 4 W111 coming into contact with the projecting ends 3 of the top step 2. The levers 18 are swung across the space between the ironing board and the side bars 1 so that the stop bar 19 will bear against the rear edges of the side bars'l and the hooks 21 are engaged in the eyes 22 upon the side bars so that spreading and collapse of the device will be prevented. When the device is to be used as an ironingboard, the bracing levers 18 are permitted to move toward the free ends of the side bars 1 by releasing the hooks or latches 21 and the legs 23 arethen swung so as to extend across the side bars 1 at an angle thereto, as shown in Fig. 2, the upper rung 25 being engaged with the proper stop of the, bracket 29, as will be readily understood. The device is then turned over so that the ends of the side bars 1 and the ends of the legs 23 will rest upon the floor with the ironing board above the said members and this turning of the device will cause the shelf 1 to swing into the position shown in Fig. 2 so that its uppersurface will be flush with the upper surface of the ironing board and it will form an extension of the board, the arms 7 swinging into engagement with the studs 9 so that the further downward movement of the. shelf will be prevented. When the device is to be stored out of the way, the bracing levers 18 are disengaged from the side bars 1 and then swung up against the ironing board, as shown in Fig. 6, and the legs 23 are disengaged from the bracket 29 and swung pivotally upon theside bars so that the rungs 25 will engage the respective notches 26. after which the ironing board and the ladder member are simply swung toward each other about the pivotal connection of the brackets 5, being thereby brought into parallel positions close to eachother. and caused to occupy a very small space.

My device is exceedingly compact in the arrangement of its parts and simple in construction. It may be easily manipulated so as to be set up for use either as an ironing board or as a step ladder and will be firmly supported in either arrangement. 7

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as newis: v

In a combined step ladder and ironing board, the combination of a ladder member comprising sidebars. and steps extending betweenthe side bars, saidside bars being provided with notches in their oppo-, site edges, the notches nearer the free ends of the side bars being alined with one of the steps, an ironing board member pivotally connected with the ladder Inernbeabraa ing levers pivotally mounted,- upon the ironing board member and adapted to engage member in inactive position, and one of the ladder member, stops on the ironing the rungs in active position of the legs enboard member, legs pivoted between their gaging one of the stops on the ironing board 10 ends upon the side bars of the ladder memmember.

5 ber, and rungs connecting the said legs In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

at the ends thereof and adapted to engage the notches in the side bars of the ladder i FREDERICK A. CHARLAND. [L. s.] 

